From Paris to the Strathmore to Cali

Fred has had so much fun since mid-April that his blog hasn't been able to keep up. Here are some photos with from his last European tour with the New JBs; two quick hits with Abraham Inc. in NYC and at the Strathmore music hall in North Bethesda, Maryland; and his fun and educational visit to Miracosta College in Oceanside, California.

Paris
It was just another (sold-out) night at the New Morning until a surprise guest showed up to sit in on drums. Here are some photos, and a bit of youtube video, of rock star Lenny Kravitz, Fred's longtime friend, holding it down on "Gimme Some Mo."

Click here for the video, courtesy of youtuber DJATN77. Thanks!


Also while in Paris, Fred went into the studio with Moroccan artist Ahmed Soultan. Fred contributed there to a track Ahmed is creating to honor the late African master Fela Kuti. Stay tuned for more information about the album and the track's release. 

Ahmed and Fred

Ahmed and Fred

Joya, Ahmed, Fred and engineer Marc.

New York

After finishing up in Europe with dates in Duisburg, Germany, and Dornbirn, Austria, Fred headed to New York City for some time with Abraham Incorporated that included rehearsals, a show at 92Y Tribeca, and a live performance on WNYC, which you can hear by clicking here.

Abe Inc. performing live in the WNYC studio.

Strathmore

An Amtrak train took Abe Inc. and crew to the Washington, D.C., area for a performance at the Strathmore to open the annual Washington Jewish Music Festival. One highlight for Fred and the band was that they got a delicious backstage special delivery from KBQ, the Bowie, Maryland, barbecue restaurant operated by his daughters and son-in-law. He also got to pose in the dressing room for this shot with all three of his girls.

Joya, Shana, Fred and Lya

Oceanside, California

Before he could make it home, Fred had one more stop -- this time in Oceanside, California, for the Oceanside Jazz Festival, where he was the instrumental special guest at a concert featuring MOJO -- the Miracosta-Oceanside Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of saxophonist Steve Torok.

Trombonist and UCLA ethnomusicolgy PhD candidate Alex Rodriguez was in attendance, and wrote this review.  Thanks, Alex!

Alex and Fred

Here are some more photos from the day in Oceanside, which included a Q&A session with the college and high school jazz students who participated in the event. Many thanks to the whole Miracosta-Oceanside family for being such gracious hosts -- especially Steve, student festival coordinator Amanda Herrera and trombone section member-turned-driver John Durkee.

Fred and Amanda

John and Fred

Fred with MOJO

Steve and Fred

Digging on his updated discography

Many thanks to collector/archivist/photographer/graphic artist extraordinaire Heinrich Buttler for further fancying up the discography he created for Fred's website. If you click here, or on "Discography" in the top right corner of the home page, you'll see the continually updated archive of Fred's lifetime of recorded performances -- now with album cover art to make it that much more fun. Enjoy.

Heading to the Holy City!

Fred and his New JBs are heading to historic Charleston, South Carolina, where they'll play this year's "Holy City Homecoming" next Tuesday, May 29.

The concert is part of the 5th annual jazz series presented by Jazz Artists of Charleston, a group with which Fred has done much work during the years he has lived in South Carolina. Charlton Singleton, the group's artistic director, will join the New JBs on trumpet as a special guest. Fred and Charlton also will appear on Monday, May 28, with the Mark Sterbank Group as part of Mark's jazz Hymns & Spirituals program.

Fred, Charton and Mark Sterbank at a previous Hymns & Spirituals show (Photo by Daniel Grummer)

Both shows begin at 8 p.m. at The Mezz, 276 King St. The venue is a newly renovated jazz listening room and bar above Charleston landmark Sermet’s at the corner of King and Wentworth streets. Click here for advance tickets.